Here we feature some of our best items for the classroom: a pick of writing, audio and video, photographs and maps that have worked well for us. Please let us know if you find these useful. Articles
My Life as an Undocumented American
Krsna Avila, Cornell Journal of Law & Public Policy Blog, 1 December 2011 Jose Antonio Vargas, The New York Times, 22 June 2011
This confession by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist about his undocumented status reveals the dilemmas those with this status face. Good to provoke discussion.
Maggie Jones, The New York Times Magazine, 21 October 2010
Note the parallels with contemporary rejection of migrant boatloads by many countries.
Jason DeParle, The New York Times, 25 June 2010
A nice overview of the issues surrounding global migration.
Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 3 March 2008
An excellent introduction to the immigrant detention system in the U.S., focusing on its impact on children and families, and on the T. Don Hutto Family Residential Facility in Taylor, Texas. Lawrence Downes, The New York Times (Editorial Observer), 27 October 2007
This brief article is good for sparking discussion about the importance of labels. Take a look at the readers' comments and letters to the editor about this piece for more insights on how both terms like "illegal" and efforts to use alternative descriptors stir up emotions in today's polarized climate. Wild River Review:Connecting People, Places, and Ideas--Story by Story (Open Borders)
See this website for a source of stories from migrants: "In this age of globalization, immigrant stories often go unheard though they are part of a great movement, of Mexicans crossing the desert into Arizona, Algerians going to France, Indians going to Dubai. This has created a vehement anti-immigrant backlash. Through their stories, immigrants can have a voice, become visible, and influence the debate."
Audio, Visual, and Video Resources"Kingsley's Crossing is the story of one man's willingness to abandon everything—his family, his country, and his friends—in the hopes of finding a better life abroad. Award-winning French photojournalist Olivier Jobard documents the passage."This is a favorite of students (and of mine). In telling the story of one man, this 20-minute narrated slideshow manages to cover why people migrate, the routes migrants travel through Africa, and the difficulties they face in reaching (and staying in) Europe. I show this before talking about migration between Mexico and the U.S. It generates good discussion, and highlights similarities in migration journeys across the globe.Ndiaga Seck, Free Speech Radio News, 1 January 2007
A 30-minute audio documentary, much of it told in the voices of Senegalese migrants, about the reasons why they migrate and the sea passage itself. Riveting.
Careless Detention: Medical Care in Immigrant PrisonsDana Priest and Amy Goldstein, series in The Washington Post, 2008 (multimedia).
Mike Flynn and Shikha Dalmia, illustrated by Terry Colon, Reason Magazine, October 2008
"Opponents of illegal immigration are fond of telling foreigners to 'get in line' before coming to work in America. But what does that line actually look like, and how many years (or decades) does it take to get through? Try it yourself!"
This illustrated chart shows what it takes to get a green card in the U.S. today. A great teaching tool.
Immigration and Jobs: Map of Foreign-Born WorkersMatthew Bloch, Shan Carter, Rob Gebeloff, The New York Times, 7 April 2009
An interactive map showing foreign-born workers in the U.S. by country and occupation.
72migrantes.comA "virtual altar" for Day of the Dead in honor of the 72 migrants who were murdered while crossing Mexico bound for the U.S. In Spanish.
PBS Frontline Investigative report with Maria Hinojosa on immigration enforcement under the Obama administration, focusing on Secure Communities, detention and deportation. Aired October 18, 2011.Books
The new edition of this classic text includes a companion website with some useful links and a web-only chapter, among other items.
ReportsReport of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants (Feb. 2008)
Jorge G. Bustamante A good overview of the U.S. government's failure to protect the rights of immigrants, as laid out in international conventions. This can be useful for generating discussion about migrants' rights in international law and U.S. obligations. 
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (2004)
"This book, which features powerful photographs by Steven Rubin, tells the compelling stories of 10 courageous asylum seekers who came to the United States seeking refuge from persecution in their homelands."
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